Seven Maids of Far Cathay | Page 7

excitement.
Matron and Cook make much shoutings, Coolies work very hard to pack 30 food baskets, 20 bags rice, 20 live chickens, 60 carrying baskets, 3 cot beds for teachers, just outside gate 60 man and women Coolies wait to carry all safely to Boat.
This time every body talk at same time, most time shout, every body say Hurry! Hurry! Cook, because head man, talk most loudly, part time jump on table, wave long bamboo stick and command all to work rightly. After two hours time, yet no make start. What reason? Miss Powers come out and say very sternly, "Cook, why do you not send baskets to Boats? it is long past time." Cook say "All ready" and open gates, let outside Coolies come in, then sixty more Coolies shout and begin to fight, because every body will to carry the light loads, and no body will to carry the heavy ones! Again Cook climb on table and compel every one to do his work rightly.
Twelve o'clock strike, all things on board boats, every body happy to make start. River men have much trouble to get boats off because of high wind and waves against Bridge. At last all started safely, every body sing songs, play games, and enjoy to look see all things which pass on river.
All day very good water, very much pleasure, all night good sleep by bank of river placing Miengs on floor of Boats. Next day very happy till noon then come very high winds, and much rough water, after long time men begin loud shoutings, and take down high covers from overhead. "What matter, What matter?" every body cry out, all fear some trouble come, boatmen say - "Now come to rapids, very swift, very dangerous, many bad rocks."
I well remember how many boats go to pieces on such rocks, so I hide my head and see nothing, only shake with fear, only can hear screams, and know some boat has already gone on the rocks.
Now our Captain began to shout to our men the awful shout - "Buy your coffins," "Buy your coffins" and I know well that this means that we too will soon be on the rocks. Then I could only pray to heaven that we be not all drowned.
At last come one most awful crash, some girls catch hold of me and cry, others make most awful screamings, and because the boat is fast filling with water all try quickly to climb upon the rocks, only I am left in Boat at last, and am much too afraid to move. Suddenly one Coolie lift me by arm and throw me over on rocks with sacks of rice and baskets of bedding.
Now we all very sure it is to die that we have come on this great river, and so we wait.
Over us the sky shine in glory of sun set, nothing of this do we see, only do we know of cold and great fear and of wetness, and pain most miserable.
Where our other Boats, where our most dear Miss Sterling? We look up river and down, some boats top-side, some bottomside, two boats on rocks, like our own poor broken one. Now night comes swiftly, all grows dark and we more and more afraid, every one say - "Now we die!" "Now we die!" I alone think not so, but very sorrowful and cry in my heart, but not with my lips.
Whole heart eat out with fear that our most precious Miss Sterling may already be drowned, no body can to tell.
After long time we hear men calling loudly, one boat comes near to our rocks in darkness, we could only see one little lantern like insect flash.
"Who comes near our rocks?" we say, and through the black night comes Miss Sterling's voice to us. O what joy. Quickly I run to edge of rocks and hold out arms to her with heart beating loudly for gladness, all our miserable lives will now be saved we know this of a truth.
In one breath Miss Sterling cry out "Are all safe, Is no one hurt here?" and we say, "No one is hurt, only all so horribly afraid, so wet, and cold."
At once Miss Sterling have Coolies make big fire on rocks, make all dry and warm, get rice ready cooked then girls eat with long hair pins for chopsticks like playing at feast when children.
After long time Miengs quite dry, Miss Sterling say all must try to sleep, she so like Mother make all cover up warmly then no cover left for herself, I see this and make her take one half of my blanket and we lie down so closely I can hear poor Miss Sterling heart beat, O so fast and loudly, then I know she have